Federal Minister of Employment and Social Development Jason Kenney and Richmond MP Alice Wong, the Minister of State for Seniors announce in Vancouver on Friday federal support for S.U.C.C.E.S.S. to help internationally trained workers get their credentials recognized and find jobs in their fields more quickly.NICK PROCAYLO
/ PNG

Federal Employment Minister Jason Kenney says the government's decision to impose a moratorium on the Temporary Foreign Worker program for food service workers is a message to employers across the country.Adrian Wyld
/ The Canadian Press

VANCOUVER -- Federal Employment Minister Jason Kenney called a new moratorium on the fast-food industry's use of the temporary foreign worker program a "wake-up call" to employers that they should be taking a long, hard look across the country for Canadians to fill vacant jobs.

"If I was the vice-president of human resources for a Canadian company right now, I would be spending more time thinking about how I could recruit Canadians, perhaps in parts of the country with high unemployment, among immigrants to Canada, among youth ... among aboriginals," Kenney said Friday at a funding announcement in Vancouver. "I'd be thinking more about how high we have to go with wages and how much more we have to invest in training than thinking about bringing people in from abroad. And I've been clear about that for years now."

Kenney announced a moratorium on the food services industry's use of the controversial program late Thursday in light of "a significant number of allegations of abuse of the program, some of which appear to be quite flagrant, which were very disturbing to me," he said.

The moratorium prevents the fast-food industry from using the program pending a government review of the temporary foreign worker program.

Kenney said Friday he didn't expect the review to take much longer, but declined to give a specific time frame.

Ian Tostenson, president of the B.C. Restaurant and Foodservices Association, said the industry is in shock.

The moratorium could cause closures, but it is more likely to mean reduced hours and service, such as restaurants closing down drive-throughs due to a shortage of labour.

The industry could quickly come together and work out the problems with the program to the government's satisfaction, Tostenson said, but added he is disappointed Kenney chose to "choke the labour supply" while doing it.

Raising wages, he said, is simply not an option for many fast food businesses.

"A lot of quick-service restaurants, they have a price point beyond which, if you put the labour price up too much, you're going to either close the restaurant or you'll decrease employment because they'll be laying people off....You're not going to go pay $20 for a hamburger."

Temporary foreign workers in the food services industry who are already here will not have their jobs affected, but the ministry will not process any new or pending applications for temporary foreign workers from the food services sector. This means those already here but nearing the end of their work permits will likely not be able to get them renewed.

Kenney also said he is distressed that wages have barely kept pace with inflation, which is not indicative of a tight labour market.

"I've been blunt with employers. We want to create significant tension in the system that compels them to raise wages, salaries, improve working conditions and increase investment and trade."

The government's changes to the program did not go far enough for B.C. Federation of Labour President Jim Sinclair, who reiterated his call for the federal government to provide all temporary foreign workers a pathway to permanent residence, immediately restore the program to its original intent of filling short-term, high-skill positions. He also called on the B.C. government to create a provincial registry of employers who use the program and the Employment Standards Branch to investigate and provide advocacy in cases of employer abuse.

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